Shadows In The Dark
by Ebony-Jayne
Summary: The Special Victims Unit’s newest member, Detective Ella Stevens, has a lot of secrets. And when her life comes crashing down around her the squad not only learns her secrets but also the secrets of one of their own. Criminal Intent Crossover later.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: The Special Victims Unit's newest member, Detective Ella Stevens, has a lot of secrets. And when her life comes crashing down around her the squad not only learns her secrets but also the secrets of one of their own.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter One: New Kid

There had been no new cases for the day and the Detectives were going stir-crazy. Olivia and Munch were arguing loudly, Elliot was watching with amusement and tossing a mini football with Fin who was trying to stay out of it. None of them heard Captain Cragen enter the squad room over the bickering.

"Shove off John! You don't believe that any more than I do!" Olivia retorted loudly to Munch's latest comeback.

"Children!" Cragen yelled over the noise. Munch and Olivia shut up abruptly. Elliot sniggered. "Can it Elliot," Cragen snapped. "You remember when I told you we were getting a new Detective?" he asked. The others nodded, noticing the woman behind Cragen for the first time. "Well this would be her. Detective Ella Stevens, transferred from San Francisco. Stevens this is Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler, John Munch and Fin Tutuola," Cragen introduced.

"New York's finest so I hear," Ella smiled as she shook hands with the other Detectives. "Nice to meet you," she smiled politely.

"Yeah you too," Elliot said, stiffly returning Ella's easy going smile.

"Munch show her her desk will you. I gotta make a phone call," Cragen told her.

"Sure. This way," Munch led Ella toward an empty desk. "So, what do you reckon about President Kennedy's death?" they heard him ask as they walked away.

"Oh there was definitely more than one guy," Ella told him. Olivia and Elliot rolled their eyes at each other.

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"Y'know we had a guy just like him in our unit," Ella stated as Munch rattled on to no-one in particular about John F. Kennedy.

"Really?" Fin asked.

"Yeah. He was a nightmare. Especially when it came to medical forms," Ella smiled.

"Yeah. He gets all paranoid about them too," Fin told her.

"Let's never put them in a room together OK?" Ella suggested.

"Yeah," Fin laughed.

"What did you work in San Francisco?" Elliot asked from behind Ella.

"Well for the first few years I worked homicide. Then when I got a little rough with this vigilante moron who killed my case I got forcibly moved to Special Victims," Ella told him.

"O-kay," Elliot looked mildly amused. "What did you do to him?"

"I shoved him into a wall and then proceeded to concuss him with the butt of my service weapon," Ella told them. "My oldest kid had just turned two and I was working this case of a guy who killed a pregnant woman and her two-year-old. Then this prick assaulted my suspect and consequently ran him out of town and we lost him. It was a bad case. We were all on the edge," she said by way of explanation.

"Been there, done that," Elliot told her. "Having kids makes it a lot harder I think, not that it isn't already."

"Yeah. How many kids do you have?" Ella asked.

"Four," Elliot told her.

"I have three," Ella smiled proudly.

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"So she has kids too huh?" Olivia asked when Elliot came over to her desk.

"Yeah. Why don't you go over and talk to her Liv? I reckon you'd really like her," Elliot told her.

"I doubt it," Olivia replied glaring at the redheaded Detective, who was talking animatedly with Munch and Fin.

"Give her a chance Liv," Elliot told her. He was about to say something else when Casey strode into the room.

"Jury's out. Probably wont come back until tomorrow at the earliest- Ellie!" she had spotted the Detective.

"Huh. Obviously you have met our new Detective," Elliot stated.

"Met? Ellie's my twin sister," Casey told him. Four pairs of eyes widened.

"Hey Case," Ella said quietly. Casey threw her arms around her twin.

"God I've missed you. Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?" she asked, cupping Ella's face.

"We'll talk about it later. Ok?" Ella said quietly.

"Where are the kids?" Casey asked.

"At Kendra's," Ella replied. "She said she'd take care of them until I can arrange something else."

"Ok," Casey turned to the others. "You guys watch out for her wont you? She's trouble," she joked.

"So we've been hearin'," Fin replied. Casey caught sight of Olivia scowling in the background and wondered what that was about. She didn't get a chance to comment on it though as her cell phone started ringing.

"Novak?" she answered. She listened for a few moments. "Ok. Ok I'll be right there ok?" she said, seemingly in an attempt to calm the person on the other end of the line. She hung up. "I gotta go and calm down my witness," she told them. "Ellie. If I don't see you before you go home I'll meet you at Kendra's Ok?" she asked her sister.

"Yeah ok," Ella smiled. "Gracie will be thrilled to see you."

"Yeah," Casey kissed Ella on the cheek before leaving the squad room.

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"So, how many other siblings do you and Casey have that we don't know about?" Elliot asked.

"Three," Ella laughed. "And we are all married with kids or kids on the way in Bowden's case," she told him.

"So Novak's letting the team down on that one?" Elliot laughed.

"Intentionally," Ella told him. "If mom wants Casey to do one thing, Casey does the exact opposite. Mom wants Casey to settle down and give her more grandbabies. So Casey works harder and scares off every guy we set her up with. Mom wants Casey to be a big corporate lawyer so Casey studies to be a prosecutor for the DA's office. Y'know. She's one of those," Ella grinned.

"Oh yeah. Every family's gotta have one though don't they?" Elliot grinned back.

"Yeah. You can say that again," Ella grinned. Elliot could now easily see the similarities between Ella and their ADA. The dimple in her left cheek for example which featured prominently in her grin.

"Well people. We have a case!" Cragen called out across the room. All of the Detectives looked up quickly. "Benson. Stabler. Stevens. Can I see you three for a minute?" he asked. The three went over and he let them into his office, closing the door behind them. "Ok. No offence Stevens but I'm pairing you up with Benson and Stabler for a while. Not that I don't trust you but I want to see how you work before I let you loose on the city," he said to Ella.

"No offence taken. Guess I'm a probie once again then," she added ruefully.

"Captain that's not fair. We don't need her tagging along and getting in the way," Olivia protested.

"With all due respect Detective Benson I am a completely competent Detective. Letting me run with you two is as much for my benefit as it is the Captains. Letting me go alone would be tossing me in the deep end and telling me to swim," Ella responded before Cragen got a chance.

"Whatever," Olivia replied sullenly. They headed back out into the squad room to get the details on their case.

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	2. Chapter 2

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: The first of many of Ella's secrets is revealed. The start of the domino effect so to speak… Sorry to those who found the last chapter confusing. I know Olivia is a little out of character but she seemed like the best candidate to be hostile toward Ella.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Two: Helena

"I was just reading my book and Helena came in. She said she needed to talk to me. So I put the book down and she just blurted it all out. She said 'Daddy's been raping me Mom!' He was raping his own daughter!" Amy Hale sobbed.

"Ok. Amy did she give you any details?" Olivia asked gently.

"She said it's been going on for about four years. It just explains so much! The eating disorders, the fighting and bad grades at school and the self destruction she seems so hell-bent on achieving," Amy looked at Olivia desperately. "76 times she said. God I must be such a bad mother not to have noticed!" Amy couldn't speak anymore her whole body shook as she sobbed. Olivia knelt beside her, pulling her into her arms.

"You're not a bad mother Amy. When teenagers really want to hide something they can be extremely good at it. Trust me. I used to be the master," Olivia told Amy. Amy let out a little laugh at Olivia's last comment and Olivia grinned. That was what she had wanted to achieve.

"Ok Amy. This is Shannen Middleton she is a family counselor who specializes in victims of rape and their families. She's going to take you to get a coffee while we speak to Helena ok?" Olivia explained, pulling back to look at Amy.

"Can't I be with her?" Amy asked.

"She told one of our detectives that she'd rather do this bit alone. She said that she doesn't want you to have to hear it," Olivia told her.

"Oh. OK," Amy looked hurt.

"Amy this isn't abnormal. She'll probably tell you in time but the Detectives are going to want a lot of detail. That's what doesn't want you to hear. It's nothing you've said or done," Shannen told Amy. "C'mon. Let's go get that coffee," she smiled.

"Ok," Amy agreed and headed off with Shannen and Olivia headed to talk to Helena.

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"Hi. My name is Olivia Benson," Olivia held out her hand.

"Helena Hale," Helena replied shaking Olivia's hand quickly.

"Ok Helena. Could you tell me what you told your Mom before?" Olivia asked gently.

"No," Helena replied.

"No?" Olivia asked, surprise briefly registered on her face before she quashed it.

"No," Helena repeated.

"Can you tell me why not?" Olivia inquired still in her gentle tone.

"Because I don't want to," Helena told her. She set her jaw in a gesture of stubbornness.

"Helena I understand that you are upset and hurt and are feeling really bad right now-," Olivia began.

"You don't have any clue whatsoever Detective! NONE! So go to hell. I. DON'T. WANT. TO. TALK. TO. YOU!" she yelled.

Olivia was taken aback. She continued to try and get Helena to open up but the teenager refused to say another word to her.

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Elliot, Ella, Casey and Cragen watched as Olivia struggled with the teenager. When she told Helena she understood how she felt Ella let out a stream of air though her teeth.

"Oh. Very bad move Olivia. She's going to totally clam up on her now," she said to her sister.

"You should talk to her Ellie," Casey said quietly.

"You sure you want to open up that can of worms?" Ella asked guardedly.

"If it helps that poor kid to heal then absolutely," Casey replied. Ella nodded and turned to Cragen.

"Can I have a go at talking to her? I have a feeling I can get through to her," she held her breath waiting for the answer.

"I don't see why not. She's not budging for Olivia," Cragen rapped on the window to get Olivia's attention. She came out and glared at Cragen.

"What?" she snapped.

"Stevens is going to have a shot at her," Cragen told Olivia shortly.

"All due respect this is my interview and I don't need her help," Olivia glared at Ella.

"All due respect, Detective, it isn't your call to make. Go ahead Stevens," Cragen gestured to the interview room.

"Thanks," Ella went in and closed the door behind her. Olivia looked about ready to explode with anger.

"Just watch Olivia," Casey said quietly. "Just watch." The unusual sadness in Casey's normally upbeat demeanor melted Olivia's anger away and she turned to the mirror to watch.

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"Hi. You're Helena Hale right?" Ella said as she sat down at the table opposite the young girl. Helena didn't answer and refused to look at Ella. "Ok. Well I'm Ellie Stevens," no response. "Y'know I was 11 when it started. He used to tell me it was because I wasn't pretty enough or because I wasn't skinny enough. So I tried so hard to become those things so he wouldn't do it anymore. I realized too late that that was exactly what he wanted me to do. Funny how I fell for it but my twin never did. She was always the savvier one of the two of us. I ended up bulimic, and addicted to prescription painkillers. Boy was I a sight," Ella paused.

"Who? Who…did it to you?" Helena asked.

"Our step-dad," Ella answered.

"For how long?" Helena was staring at Ella with newfound curiosity.

"Seven years. I got married and moved out when I was eighteen," Ella told her.

"I'm anorexic. I can't stop. How did you stop?" Helena asked. She reached across the table and began to play with Ella's silver charm bracelet.

"Not voluntarily," Ella told her. "My older brothers and sister and my twin dragged me to a rehab clinic literally kicking and screaming. I didn't want to get better," she told her.

"But you did. And now you're helping people like you?" Helena smiled a little.

"Yeah. I guess I am," Ella smiled.

"The first time he did it I was 12," Helena told Ella. She proceeded to pour her heart out as the pretty redheaded Detective listened intently and reassured her.

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Behind the mirror Casey stood away from the others watching her sister and trying to hide the tears that were creeping down her cheeks. She jumped when she felt a warm hand slide into hers and looked up to see Olivia looking at her in concern.

"I'm sorry," Casey said raising her other had to wipe at her tears. "I'll just never forget how bad Ellie was back then. Or the way she looked at me when we had her admitted into that clinic," Casey's voice broke.

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Once Helena had gone home it was 2pm. Ella was looking tired and drawn.

"I'm going to lay down for a bit," she said softly, raking a hand through her long hair.

"Ok," Olivia nodded. Ella left and walked into the crib. She wrinkled her nose, it was just as nasty as the one at her old precinct. She chose a bed that sat against the wall and lay down. She snuggled up facing the cold brick wall and let the tears flow. It wasn't long before she felt someone lift the blankets and slide in behind her. An arm circled her waist and a hand stroked through her hair. Ella turned around and cuddled into Casey and eventually cried herself to sleep.

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	3. Chapter 3

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: When Ella's kids visit the squad room and meet the team the next domino falls…

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Three: Grace

"So he just confessed?" Ella asked Casey incredulously. She had just been told that Daniel Hale had suddenly pled guilty to raping Helena.

"Yeah. It was weird. He just jumped up and said he changed his mind and wanted to plead guilty. It was really odd," Casey told her.

"Hey Stevens!" Elliot called out across the room.

"What?" Ella called back not looking away from Casey.

"That your brood?" he asked. Ella turned around and saw her big sister and her three kids standing in the doorway.

"Uh. Yeah," Ella stood up and grinned. "Well you better come in then," she called out. She and Casey got up and walked over to them. "Hi babies," Ella said to the three kids. Elliot was beside her by now.

"Gonna introduce us?" he asked.

"Elliot this is Casey's and my older sister Kendra Hydes and my three kids Grace, Blaike and Bronté. Guys this is Elliot Stabler," Ella introduced.

"Hi Elliot. I'm five," one little redheaded girl told Elliot.

"Wow. You're getting to be a big girl aren't you?" Elliot asked her.

"I guess," Grace sighed dramatically. "But I'm still just not big enough." Elliot couldn't help but laugh at that. Grace smiled and then skipped off and climbed up onto the chair in front of Olivia's desk.

"Mamma?" a little voice asked. Ella stooped to pick up the little boy who was wrapped around her calf.

"What's up Blaike?" she asked.

"Day care got da termiteses," he told her in slightly garbled speech.

"Daycares got termites! Well that's no good is it?" Ella feigned shock.

"No dood. I can't pway wifa tucks day now Mamma," Blaike babbled.

"Well I'm sure the trucks will still be there when the termites are gone," Ella assured him. The baby that was sitting in the carseat at Kendra's feet started to cry. "Blaike why don't you go to Auntie Kendra for a minute while Mamma gives Bronté a cuddle?" Ella asked.

"No! Go Aunta Tasey," Blaike told her. Ella set him down and he took off to see Casey.

"Ohh. It's ok baby Mamma didn't forget you," Ella soothed as she picked up the baby.

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Twenty minutes later Olivia was giving six-month-old Bronté her bottle, Blaike was playing 'strangle Munch with his tie' and laughing his little head off when Munch repeatedly feigned death and Grace was talking non-stop to Olivia. Casey, Kendra, Elliot and Ella were chatting in the corner.

"When we lived in San Francisco my friend was Gemmy. She came to play lots 'cause Daddy didn't go to work," Grace told Olivia.

"Did your Daddy come with you here?" Olivia asked realizing that Ella had never mentioned her husband.

"No. We ran away from Daddy. He doesn't know we're here," Grace told her.

"Why?" Olivia asked before she could stop herself.

"I'll tell you but you have to keep it a secret," Grace leaned over and whispered in Olivia's ear. "He hurt my Mamma. She had to go to the hostiple," she said stumbling over the big word. "I heard Auntie Kendra tell Auntie Casey that Mamma nearly died." Olivia couldn't speak from her shock. "I don't miss Daddy at all. I hate him. I hate him more than anything in the whole wide world," Grace's little face clouded over for a moment before she seemingly forgot all about it. "You should give Bronté a break for a minute or she'll spew," she informed Olivia.

"Right," Olivia pulled the bottle gently out of Bronté's mouth. She expected the baby to scream but she just pulled a face and started gurgling happily. After a while she burped and then started whimpering.

"You can give it back now. She won't spew on you," Grace told her. Olivia did as she was told. She studied the little girl sitting beside her. She had straight red hair that sat on her shoulders. Her longish bangs were pinned back with clips with dogs on them. Olivia guessed she was growing them out. She had bright green eyes and she had the same lips and nose as Ella. Olivia glanced at Blaike and deduced that he must be more like his dad. The only indication of Ella in him was his bright green eyes. Bronté was going to look like Ella too she could already see a lot of her mother in her. Once Bronté had finished her bottle Kendra packed the kids up and took them home.

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Olivia knocked on Casey's office door later that day.

"Come in," Casey called out. Olivia went in, closing the door behind her.

"Hey. I just wanted to ask you something," Olivia said sitting in the chair in front of Casey's desk.

"Ask me what?" Casey put her pen down and closed the file she was working on.

"About Ella's husband," Olivia said tentatively.

"George, yeah. What about George?" Casey asked.

"Well when I was talking to Grace this morning she told me that they moved here because her Daddy hurt her Mamma and put her in the hospital," Olivia told Casey.

"Don't tell Ellie I discussed this with you will you?" Casey asked moving to sit on the couch.

"I won't," Olivia promised, moving to sit beside her.

"Something was going on in that house Olivia. I got this phone call in the middle of the night. Gracie could use the speed dial before she could talk just about," Casey smiled. "She was absolutely frantic. Saying 'Auntie Casey! Auntie Casey! Daddy hurt Mamma! He pushed her and she fell through the glass!' Ellie was about 25 weeks pregnant with Bronté at the time. We don't know what happened exactly. Gracie always maintained that George pushed Ellie on purpose but Ellie says he came home drunk and moved forward to get into her face. She says he tripped and knocked her and she fell through the glass coffee table. Whichever way it happened she fractured her skull and dislocated her hip," Casey paused to run her fingers through her hair.

"You and Ellie are only 32 though aren't you?" Olivia asked. Casey nodded. "32 year olds don't just dislocate their hips Casey."

"I know. That's what the doctor said. He said it would take a hell of a lot of force and that the two injuries couldn't have happened in the same fall," Casey told her. "She says that she took the kids and left because George was having an affair. But that just doesn't add up. George was proud to have 'landed' Ellie as he so eloquently put it. Fiercely proud and he acted like he owned her. He just wouldn't risk his 'property' to sleep around. Something was going on in that house Olivia," Casey looked at Olivia, hurt. "We used to tell each other everything. We just had this bond that people say only twins can have. We were so close and now…it's like she's on one side of the grand canyon and I'm on the other," she sighed in frustration.

"I think you should talk to Grace, Casey," Olivia suggested. "She knows more than she's letting on. We'll figure this out ok?" Olivia picked up Casey's hand and squeezed it. "We'll find out what went on in that house."

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	4. Chapter 4

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: Casey and Olivia dig deeper into Ella's relationship with George. Her daughter and her old partner provide some insight. Olivia ends up meeting Ella's entire family.

I just felt the need to write a lighter and (hopefully) funnier chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Four: The Family

"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked.

"Hi is this Colin Wright?" Olivia asked.

"Yes it is," the man answered.

"Great. My name is Olivia Benson. I'm with Manhattan SVU, I wondered if I could ask you a few questions about Ella Stevens?" Olivia asked.

"Oh! You're one of the Detectives in Ellie's new squad!" the man said excitedly. "Is she ok? What can I tell you?" he asked.

"Well I don't know how much you would know but we wondered if you had any suspicions about her husband?" Olivia asked.

"That bastard," Colin said in distaste. "Every other week Ellie came in with a black eye or a nasty bruise on her arm. That was when she first started in Special Victims. It got more and more frequent over time. No-one is that accident prone. And you can't get a handprint on your arm by hitting it on your kid's windowsill," he told her.

"So you think she was being physically abused then?" Olivia sighed.

"Yeah I do. He treated her worse than he treated their dog," Colin told her. "I was going to ring you guys myself next week and tell you to look after my girl for me," Olivia could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'll pass on that message," Olivia assured him.

"Could you say hi to Casey and tell her to say hi to Kendra for me too?" Colin asked.

"Sure thing," Olivia laughed. "Thanks so much for this."

"Not a problem," Colin replied. They hung up and Olivia decided to call Casey to tell her what she'd found out. Casey gave her an address for a house in Queens and told her to meet her there.

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Olivia pulled up at the address Casey had given her and parked her car. There was about six or seven other cars there too. She wondered what was going on. She knocked on the door and Kendra answered.

"Hi, Olivia right?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah. I was just looking for Casey," Olivia told her.

"Ah. Come on in. I guess she didn't tell you its Michael's birthday and all the family is over," Kendra held the door open and let Olivia through.

"No she neglected to tell me that," Olivia smiled.

"Just watch your step when you go outside. The mother of all water fights is currently in progress," Kendra warned.

"Ok," Olivia laughed.

"I'll introduce you to some of the Relatives as we pass. Might make them stop asking Ellie about who she works with," Kendra led Olivia through to the kitchen. "Ok this is Bowdie's wife Kelly, she's pregnant with their first. That's Megs she's Mike's wife and is pregnant with their third and that's our mom Ellen. Guys this is one of Ellie and Casey's colleagues, Olivia Benson," Kendra told them.

"Welcome to the mad house Honey," Megan grinned as she shook Olivia's hand.

"I second Megs' greeting. Nice to meet you," Kelly also offered a big smile which Olivia couldn't help but return.

"Don't listen to them dear. Although I have to admit there's not much sign of intelligent life out there at the moment," Ellen patted Olivia's shoulder. "Be careful taking her out there MaKendra she'll end up soaked if you're not careful," she warned.

"Mom hates nicknames," Kendra whispered when Olivia looked confused at the name.

"Ah. Right," Olivia nodded as Kendra led her outside.

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"Olivia!" Ella's voice rang out as soon as she walked out of the door. Ella was drenched. She stood in front of Olivia. "Case said you were coming. Sorry she didn't warn you about this- AAAGGGH BOWDEN YOU SHIT!" she screamed as a man turned a garden hose on her. He was now roaring with laughter. Ella took the opportunity to wrestle the hose off him and shove it down the back of his pants.

"HEY!" he shrieked yanking it back out.

"That'll learn ya," Ella grinned. "Olivia this is my oldest brother Bowden. Bowden my colleague Olivia," she introduced.

"I'm tempted to hug you but I won't because you're dry," Bowden offered his hand instead.

"Thanks," Olivia asked.

"I will though 'cause I'm an asshole!" a voice behind her said. Next thing Olivia knew she was wrapped in a pair of very wet arms.

"Oh Mike!" Ella yelped.

"Well you're nice and cool anyway," Olivia laughed.

"Yeah. I'm Mike Novak," he let her go and shook her hand.

"Olivia," she replied.

"Olivia this is our dad Rob. Dad, Olivia Benson. Come on Olivia," Casey had materialized and dragged Olivia away as soon as she'd let go of Rob's hand.

"Sorry," Casey grinned totally unapologetically. On the way to the other side of the yard Olivia was introduced to Kendra's husband Joel, their two kids Emma, 9, and Josh, 6, and Michael's two girls Carmel, 4, and Briannan, 2. Casey was relatively dry and Olivia watched amused as she sat down under the trees with her back to the water fight. She noted that Bowden and Mike were already conspiring to get her. Olivia ignored them for the moment and recounted her conversation with Colin Wright.

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"So he thinks that it was more than the once?" Casey sounded relieved to know.

"Yeah he thinks- Hello," Blaike and Briannan had just toddled over and Blaike had planted himself in Olivia's lap. "He thinks it was pretty frequent," she continued from where she'd stopped.

"Pwetty," Briannan stroked Olivia's hair. "Mine pwetty?" she asked petting her own little tufty pigtails.

"Yes yours is very pretty," Olivia told her. Briannan giggled and toddled away.

"Beeananan!" Blaike yelled as he got up and toddled after her.

"Anyway," Olivia continued, "He said that at first it was a black eye or a bruise every other week. Then it got more and more frequent. I think she must have been trying to pass the bruises off as accidents because Colin said and I quote 'No-one is that accident prone and you don't get a handprint on your arm from hitting it on your kid's windowsill.' He was adamant something was going on."

"Yeah. I talked to Gracie before. She said lots of times she found Ellie curled up in a ball in the bathroom with blood and bruises," Casey told her. "Do you think we should confront her about it?" she looked over at her sister.

"Not today. Let her have her fun. We'll talk to her another day," Olivia smiled. Suddenly a stream of water shot in their direction drenching both Casey and Olivia. Olivia was glad she wasn't wearing white. "Oh! Ok, you asked for it Novak! It is on now!" Olivia yelled across the yard at Bowden. "Come on Casey let's kick some ass," she grinned grabbing Casey's hand and yanking her up.

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	5. Chapter 5

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: Casey and Olivia prepare to confront Ella about her marriage. But they don't get the chance because someone else gets to her first...

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Five: Snatched

_Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Ring, ring. _Olivia jumped up and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" she asked sleepily.

"Olivia?" came a distressed little voice.

"Gracie? Yeah it's me," she assured the little girl.

"Olivia you have to help us!" Grace sounded terrified.

"Gracie, honey, what happened? Are you Ok?" Olivia was putting her clothes on as she spoke.

"Daddy found us Olivia! He hurt Mamma real bad and took her away in a big black van. And we're all alone now 'cause Auntie Kendra and Uncle Joel and Emma and Josh went away 'cause Joel's Mamma died," Grace was crying now.

"Ok, Gracie I want you to lock all of the doors and only open them when you hear my voice ok? Promise me Grace," Olivia cursed under her breath as she got caught up in her bra.

"I promise. Hurry Olivia we're really, really scared," behind Graces sobbing she could hear Blaike crying and Bronté screaming.

"I'll be there really soon Ok?" Olivia promised.

"Ok-," the phone cut off.

"Shit!" Olivia cursed. She hoped to god George hadn't come back for the kids. She rang Elliot and Cragen on the way to Kendra's house and told them what Grace had told her and to meet her there. She arrived at Kendra's and retrieved her gun. She cocked it and carefully stepped out of the car. She kept her eyes trained on her surroundings trying to detect any movements. She nearly shot a cat when it jumped out of a rubbish bin in her peripheral vision. She had just put her hand on the door handle when a shot rang out. It landed about five inches left of her head. "Gracie honey it's Olivia. You have to let me in. Quick," she called out.

The lock clicked and the door opened revealing Grace in her pink nightie. Olivia quickly went in and locked the door just as another shot rang out. Grace screamed and started to cry even harder. "Come here sweetie," Olivia scooped her up and hugged her close. She turned off all of the lights and rang 911. She reported the shots and then rang Elliot and Cragen again to warn them. Then she headed into Bronté's room. Blaike had managed to climb into her crib. He had her head in his lap and was stroking her fine hair as he cried his little heart out. Bronté was asleep again and so Olivia just shifted her slightly and scooped Blaike out of the crib.

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When the sounds of a patrol car sounded in the distance, tyres screeched outside and Olivia saw a large unmarked black van screech out of the street. By the time the cars pulled up outside the van was long gone. Elliot jumped out of the car and Olivia realized he had Casey with him.

"Liv!" he called as she opened the door to let him in.

"Powice tar," Blaike sniffled from where he had his head tucked against Olivia's shoulder.

"Yeah those are police cars," Olivia smiled. Grace wiggled in her arms and Olivia set her down. She ran to Casey and started to cry all over again when she saw Casey's tears.

"Gracie baby it's ok," Casey tried to comfort her. "I knew it Olivia! I knew something happened," she sobbed herself. Olivia pulled her into an awkward one armed hug trying to comfort her and not drop or squash Blaike.

"It's ok Case. We'll get her back. We'll find her," Olivia soothed.

"She's really hurt Olivia. I can just feel it," Casey sobbed.

"Hey," Olivia stepped back and took Casey's chin in her hand. "We will find her Casey. I swear to you we will fond her," she promised.

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Ella awoke in absolute agony. Her arms had been wrenched back and taped tightly behind her back and her ankles were taped together too. She groaned in pain, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her face felt like it was on fire and so did her stomach. Her shoulders ached from where they had been pulled back. She tried to scream but there was a piece of tape across her mouth. She couldn't breathe through her nose properly either. She began to panic, whimpering desperately and straining against her bonds. Suddenly a hand reached around and pulled the tape off.

"What's wrong baby?" a voice asked.

"I…couldn't…breathe…bastard," Ella gasped out.

"Ellie baby. You brought this on yourself. You know that. You brought it on yourself when you disappeared in the middle of the night with my children," George came into her line of sight.

"Don't call me baby you bastard," Ella snarled. "I disappeared in the middle of the night because you hit me in front of my child," she coughed, more tears spilling down her cheeks from the pain that caused her.

"You should know that you will never get away from me. So I think I'll leave you here for a couple of days before I kill you. Then I'll present with a solid alibi and take my children back to San Francisco with me. Maybe that nasty twin of yours too. I know that she saw me first. She was so mad when I chose you. But I knew that you would be the easier one to control. But Casey'll learn," George laughed. He kicked Ella hard in the ribs before striding out the room laughing. Ella screamed and writhed in pain. 'Oh god," she thought desperately. 'I have to get out of here…'

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	6. Chapter 6

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: The detectives are working around the clock. Will they get Ella out alive…?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Six: Missing

Olivia yawned and took in the scene around her. Elliot was sitting at his desk, phone in one hand, head resting on the other. Munch was digging through a box of documents trying to find something, anything to help them find Ella. Every few minutes he would take his glasses off and rub his eyes. Fin was also on the phone but he apparently wasn't getting anywhere because he clearly wasn't happy. Casey had curled up on one of the chairs and was sound asleep with her head on her knees, her hair obscuring her face. Olivia watched her for a few seconds before deciding that she couldn't let her sleep like that because she'd be extremely sore when she woke up. She got up and walked over to the sleeping woman.

"Casey, Casey come on," Olivia reached over and rubbed her back. Casey lifted her head turning her bleary eyes toward Olivia.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"Nothing. You can't sleep in that chair like that Casey it'll hurt like hell. Come and find a bed in the crib," Olivia answered. Casey obeyed and Olivia led her into the crib and got her into a bed. She was asleep within seconds of lying down. Olivia tucked a blanket around her and left the crib closing the door behind her.

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Ella was awake again but George was nowhere to be seen. She was taking in her surroundings. She was in a warehouse somewhere. There was some old furniture in there but not much else. Suddenly she spotted it. Her cell phone was lying on the floor underneath an old couch. She looked around her and then tried to wriggle closer to the couch. It took her a while and it hurt a lot but she finally managed to get to her phone. She picked it up and held it behind her pushing the buttons and hoping she had the right number. She dropped the phone and leaned down beside it.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the phone answered.

"C-Casey?" Ella said.

"Ellie! Oh my god!" Casey gasped. "Where are you?"

"D-don't know. W-Warehouse somewhere. I'm going to leave my phone on. I-It has GPS on it. P-put a trace out on it Casey," Ella instructed.

"Ok. I love you Ellie," Casey whispered.

"I-I love you too," Ella hung up the phone.

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"Olivia!" Casey called out as she came rushing back into the room. "Ellie just rang me. She told me she's going to leave her Cell on. She's got GPS on it because it's a new phone so she told me to tell you to put a trace on it," She said breathlessly."

"Ok I'm on it," Olivia and the rest of the squad sprang into action. Soon they had a read on Ella's cell phone. It was in a warehouse not far from Kendra and Joel's house.

"Think it'd be worth dragging SWAT out?" Elliot asked.

"Absolutely. We have no idea whether or not he's armed. This is what SWAT is trained for," Cragen told them.

"Ok let's get going," Olivia said. They jumped into their cars and headed for the warehouse SWAT had already responded by the time they got there.

"There's no-one here at all Detectives," the leader of the SWAT team told them.

"What?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"Your guy must have figured her out," he held up a cell phone in a gloved hand. Olivia took it and looked at the display, _Ellie Novak_.

"It's her phone," Olivia told the others. She sighed deeply. She should've known fate would never let them off that easily.

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Ella was asleep when she suddenly felt strange. She opened her eyes and realized that she was no longer in the warehouse. She was back in the van and she was moving. She shifted and realized that her arms were now in front of her and her feet weren't taped together anymore. She realized that her plan was now totally shot. She just hoped that George was stupid enough to leave the detectives something to go on. Suddenly the van stopped. Without the hum of the engine she could hear the sounds of flowing water. She started to panic and hyperventilate. The back doors of the van were thrown open and George's furious face peered in.

"You stupid bitch! You led them right to me! Not going to happen again though," he laughed as he dragged her out of the van. She realized that they were right down on the banks of the Hudson River. George had her under the arms and he gently lowered her into the freezing water. "You're going to hell tonight Briella," he whispered.

"I'll see you there George," she whispered. Then he let her go. Her head ducked under and she flailed around trying to get above the water again. She did briefly and managed to suck in a breath of air. She went under and came back up over and over again as she floated down the river. Her lungs and throat burned and she was exhausted and in agony. She realized that this was it. She realized that she would probably die here tonight. She fought harder and harder until finally she had no fight left in her and the world slowly faded to black.

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Sorry for the cliffie (author laughs evilly).

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	7. Chapter 7

Title: Shadows In the Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. I just had an urge to leave you hanging for a while. This chapter: Will someone get to Ella in time or will she die in the Hudson?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Seven: Fate

_She fought harder and harder until finally she had no fight left in her and the world slowly faded to black…_

"Oh my god! Scott is that a person?" Lilly James asked her boyfriend. She looked out into the water and realized that what she'd seen was in fact a person. "Oh my god it is!" she yelled.

"Wait here and call 911!" Scott ordered. He stripped off his shirt and dived into the icy water. Lilly called 911 and then watched in horror as the person slipped under the water again and again. Then, just before Scott got to them the person slipped under the water and didn't come back up. It seemed like hours before he got to them but in reality it was only a few seconds. He quickly swam back to the bank.

"Call the cops Lilly she's tied up and beat to hell," Scott panted. He laid the woman down on the ground. As Lilly called the cops he began doing CPR as the woman wasn't breathing.

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"There's absolutely nothing there to suggest where he took her," the CSU Tech told Olivia.

"Arrgh this is going nowhere," Olivia said angrily. Her phone rang. "Benson. What? When? Is she ok?...Oh my god," Olivia hung up the phone. "Guys that was Rebecca Hendrix. They just admitted a young woman who was found floating in the Hudson. She's says that she matches the description they were given of a missing Detective."

"Let's get Casey and go," Elliot said as he grabbed his coat.

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"Oh my god," Casey turned into Olivia and buried her face in the detectives shoulder.

"Yeah that's our girl," Olivia told Dr. Hendrix.

"She was pulled out of the river by a couple of 19-year-olds on a date. They're over there," Hendrix pointed to the couple who were sitting in the waiting room.

"Thanks," Olivia awkwardly pulled Casey into the room with Ella while Elliot followed them andMunch and Fin headed over to talk to the young couple. There was another doctor in Ella's room so Olivia asked her how Ella was doing.

"Well it's hard to say right now. No-one knows how long she was in that icy water for and she stopped breathing for some time too. We just have to wait and see. She was hypothermic when she was brought in and she has some nasty injuries to her face and abdomen. But she is responding to painful stimuli which is a very good sign," the doctor told them. She smiled at Casey. "We just have to pray for the best ok?" she reassured her.

"Ok. I need to ring my Mom and Dad and Mike and Bowden," Casey looked at Ella and Elliot could tell that she didn't want to leave her twin.

"I'll ring them Casey. You stay with Ellie ok?" Elliot told her.

"Thank you," Casey smiled gratefully.

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"We were walking along the river. We'd just been out to dinner and thought it would cap off the night nicely," Scott Hammond told Munch. "We were just walking along when Lilly said she could see something floating in the water. Then all of a sudden she started yelling that she thought it might be a person. She got closer and then she said that it was a person. I didn't even really think about it. I just jumped in and tried to swim out to her. She went under just before I got to her and I had a hell of a job getting her back above the water. Then I noticed that her hands were tied up and someone had beat the crap out of her. Who is she?" Scott asked curiously. "Lilly said that she heard someone say that she's a missing Detective" he said.

"Detective Ella Stevens, Manhattan Special Victims Unit," Munch told him.

"Wow. Well I hope she's ok," he told them sincerely.

"So do we," Munch sighed.

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Casey was angry. Olivia could see it in every move she made as she walked over to her sister's side.

"Painful stimuli huh," she said softly. She reached over and pinched her arm hard. Ella made a mewling noise and her eyelids flickered. "Don't you ever scare me like that again all right? Because if you do…" Casey paused swallowing hard. She reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of Ella's eyes. She flinched as her hand came into contact with her sister's skin, it was cold to the touch. "She's cold Olivia. She's just so cold," Casey said softly. She flattened her hand against Ella's forehead to try and warm her skin with her own body heat.

"I think she'll be ok Casey. She's a fighter. She'll get through this," Olivia rested a hand on Casey's back as she reached over to squeeze Ella's hand. Soon Casey's family arrived and Olivia decided to leave them to it. She leaned down closer to Ella's ear and whispered. "You better hurry up and get better because I am not doing your paperwork for you," she squeezed her hand again and headed out to help the guys track down George Stevens.

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Y'know I'd never kill her. That wouldn't be much fun at all.

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	8. Chapter 8

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: Ella is free of her husband but where is he…?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Eight: The Hunt Is On

"Ok Ella I'm going to check your pupils now," the nurse bustled over and lifted Ella's eyelids, shining a tiny penlightin her eyesto check the reactions. "Good reactions. You better hurry and get better love. Those beautiful babies of yours are missing you," she told her. At mention of her 'babies' Ella jerked. "Oh! You gave me a fright love," the nurse gasped. Ella jerked again and her eyes fluttered. "That's it," the nurse coaxed. Ella's eyes fluttered again and then snapped open.

"Casey…" she gasped out. "Where's my sister?" she croaked.

"Here love, have a drink," the nurse helped Ella take a few mouthfuls of water.

"He said he'd get her. Where's Casey?" Ella asked.

"She's just gone to get your kids from your other sister. How're you feeling?" the nurse asked.

"Hurts, have to see Casey," Ella tried to get up but the pain wracking her body stopped her. "Ughh," she groaned.

"I'll get in touch with your sister then. You just rest love," the nurse tucked Ella in tighter and left to ring Casey.

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"Ellie!" Casey ran into the room and to her sister's side.

"Casey, George, he's after you next and my kids. Gonna kidnap you all-," Ella broke off coughing.

"Ssshhh Ellie it's ok," Casey cupped her sister's face. "Olivia and Elliot have been trailing us everywhere. We've had police protection since he took you ok?" she reassured her.

"Ok. Gracie? She was screaming, she was so scared," Ella started to cry. "What happened to them?" Casey crawled carefully into bed with her sister and Ella cuddled up.

"Gracie rang Olivia. You had her number on the fridge. I now see why you insisted upon teaching that child to use a phone. Frustrating as that was," Casey was pleased to see Ella smile. She reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"He shot at someone. I think it was Olivia. He kept saying something about 'that damn bitch cop'. He didn't get anyone did he?" Ella asked.

"No. He didn't. According to Olivia that first shot landed about five inches left of her head," Casey told her. Ella grimaced.

"Well he always was a useless shot," she smiled weakly. Casey laughed a little.

"Yeah. We shouldn't talk about this anymore until Olivia and the guys get here," Casey frowned. She smoothed her twin's hair again.

"Yeah. Did you call them?" Ella asked.

"Yeah, they're in the waiting room with the kids. They said they'd give us some time first," Casey told her.

"Can they come in now? Much as I love you Case I'm hanging out to see my babies," Ella smiled.

"Oh fine," Casey said, mock hurt lacing her voice. She disentangled herself from her sister and headed out to retrieve the Detectives.

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"Hey Girl, How ya doin'?" Fin asked as he came into the room.

"Hey Fin. I've…been better. You?" Ella smiled, slowly shifting into a sitting position.

"Y'know. Usual," Fin answered.

"Cool. Hey guys," Ella smiled at the other three Detectives filed into the room. She received various greetings in reply.

"Bought you a present," Olivia had her hands behind her back.

"What is it?" Ella asked.

"It's a surprise. Close your eyes and hold out your hands," Olivia grinned.

"Olivia!" Ella whined.

"Do it," Olivia commanded. Ella huffed as she did as she was told. Olivia placed something soft and furry in Ella's hands. "Now open." Ella did and smiled at the cute teddy bear in her hands.

"Aww. He's cute. I'm going to call him Doug," Ella announced cuddling the bear.

"Doug?" Elliot raised one eyebrow.

"Yes Doug. Got a problem with that?" Ella challenged.

"No, not at all," Elliot couldn't help but smile.

"Ok. Would you and Doug like to answer some questions for us?" Munch asked.

"You leave Doug out of this," Ella warned a grin breaking through at the last second.

"Ok then you have some questions to answer," Munch corrected.

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"I woke up because I could hear Bronté crying. I went into her room and there he was, standing over her crib. I froze, I…I couldn't breathe. He turned around and he had that look in his eye," Ella paused to take a shaky breath.

"What look?" Olivia asked gently.

"The look that says: 'I'm going to beat the living crap out of you for this.' I used to get that look a lot," Ella looked at the teddy in her arms. "Anyway, he just lunged. He dragged me out to the lounge by my hair. Then he just went wild. I don't know how many times he hit me. Just as I'd registered one blow the next would come out of nowhere. I heard Gracie screaming 'No Daddy! No! Stop hurting my Mamma!'" Ella paused remembering her little girl's words. "She called him a bastard. I'll have to warn her about that word," she mused. "I guess I just blacked out after a while. I woke up in that warehouse in a lot of pain. He was there. He kept calling me Baby. Then he said he was going to wait a few days, kill me, present with a solid alibi and take my kids back to San Francisco. He said he'd take Casey too. And do to her…what he used to do to me. Then he kicked me in the ribs and left. I passed out again from the pain," a sob managed to escape from Ella's lips at that she hugged Doug tighter to her chest. Olivia shifted to sit on the edge of the bed and gently picked up Ella's hand, mindful of the IV running into the back it. Ella took a couple of deep shaky breaths and managed to get control over her emotions again. She told the rest of the story of how she'd had the weird thought that she'd better put her cell phone in the pocket of her pajama pants when she got up to go to the baby, found it in the warehouse and called Casey. How she fallen asleep and then awoken again in the back of the moving van, then how George had taken her to the waters edge. "He said…he said… 'You're going to Hell tonight Briella,' and then he just let me go. All I could think about was that I was never going to see my family or any of you guys again," tears poured down her cheeks. "Y'know if it wasn't for that really weird urge to put my phone in my pocket, I could still be in that warehouse," she whispered the last part.

"Let's not think about that now ok? Now there are some kids in that waiting room who can't wait to see their Mother," Elliot smiled and was relieved when Ella smiled back. As he went to tell Casey to bring the kids in he paused at the door. "The hunt is on now Ellie. We won't stop until we get him."

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	9. Chapter 9

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: The closer the squad gets to George, the closer George gets to Ella. Can Elliot, Olivia, Munch and Fin catch George before he catches up to Ella? Crosses over with Criminal Intent in the next couple of Chapters.

-Finally got around to posting another chappie because I got a bee sting on my foot and can't do anything else! I'll try to be good and get this story finished quickly!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Nine: Closer…

It was three days since Ella had woken up. She was still in the hospital but was getting discharged the next day. They had put an APB out on George's car and had set up a hotline. So far they had had one possible sighting.

"This worm of a human being is good. I'll let him have that," Munch commented as he headed toward the coffee.

"He is," Elliot agreed. "Well get him though," he added.

"Oh hey Eames and Goren are in. Maybe they have something," Olivia said as she spotted Alexandra Eames and her partner Bobby Goren from major cases come in. They had taken over the hunt for George but were letting the SVU detectives pitch in and help.

"Hey. We got another sighting. Coffee shop. The owner watches way too many forensics shows. He recognized George and put the cup he used aside for fingerprints and DNA," Eames flicked her shortish hair over her shoulder. "We analyzed the prints and they match. George Stevens was in that coffee shop. We're getting closer," Eames paused to look at Goren who was absently swaying on the spot. "Bobby?" she asked in a motherly tone.

"He's still in town. If I had kidnapped and tried to kill my ex-wife I wouldn't be hanging around. He's either screwing with us or he really wants Ella Stevens dead," Goren told them.

"I'd go with the latter. From what Ellie told us he knows that nothing would hurt her more than the thought of her children living with him," Elliot agreed.

"I think I might go and have a talk to your girl and see if she can tell me some more about George and his mannerisms," Eames told them.

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"Is George a religious man?" Eames asked. She and Ella were sitting cross-legged on Ella's hospital bed facing each other.

"He's a Catholic. Lapsed but he does believe in God and Jesus. Heaven and Hell too evidently," Ella replied. She gave a lop-sided smile and Eames couldn't help but smile back. "He's still in New York isn't he? He wants me dead bad. He won't stop until he gets me," Ella wouldn't look Eames in the eyes when she said it.

"Ella? Is there something you'd like to tell me?" she asked. Ella said nothing, staring at the bed. Eames reached up and cupped Ella's chin bringing her face up so she had to look her in the eye. "What's going on?" Eames asked softly. Ella just stared into Eames concerned brown eyes for a moment before she sighed deeply. Eames let go of her chin and waited.

"He sent me a letter. I got it this morning," Ella told her.

"What did it say?" Eames asked. Ella just reached under her pillow and pulled the letter out. She silently handed it to the Detective. Eames quickly read the letter. It was one of the few times in her career that she had really felt totally and utterly repulsed. The letter was incredibly violent going into gory detail of how he was going to kill her and take her children. It also described in detail what he planned to do to her twin. "Good God," Eames took a shaky breath. "Uh I should take this back to the lab," she told Ella.

"Ok," Ella agreed.

"I'll see you," Eames made a quick exit from Ella's room.

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As Elliot and Munch read the letter first Olivia watched Eames. The blonde had fascinated her from the first time she'd met her. At five-foot-two Eames was certifiably tiny but her presence and strength were huge. They rivaled that of her six-foot-four partner and seemed to be unshakable. Watching her now though, Olivia realized that she was indeed shaken. Pale and trembling a little she was making Olivia nervous. What the hell was in that letter to get her like this? She soon found out. When it came her turn to read the letter she could hardly bring herself to read past the opening line. The letter was awful. It detailed how George was going to beat Ella to death with his bare hands in front of their kids so they would know not to ever, ever mess with him. Then it said how he was going to kidnap Casey by beating her into submission. It only got worse after that as it went on about how he would keep Casey 'out of trouble the same way he kept Ella out of trouble' only he would make sure she didn't 'rebel against him' as Ella had. Olivia felt sick when she finished reading it. She had never encountered something so vicious and violent in her entire life and that was really saying something. She could see why Eames was so rattled. When everyone had read the letter they all just sat in silence. No-one knew what to say. The silence was finally broken when Olivia received a phone call from the hospital to say that Ella was absolutely frantic and asking for her.

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"Ella! Honey calm down," Olivia tried to get Ella to settle down. She was in the middle of a fully fledged panic attack. Her breathing was rapid and erratic and she was talking too fast and not making sense. Eames came around to Ella's other side and began to rub small circles up and down her back. After a few minutes the combination of Olivia's soft reassuring voice and Eames small circles began to soothe Ella. Her breathing slowed and became more regular and she stopped talking.

"What happened?" Eames asked once Ella had calmed.

"I got another letter," Ella told her. "Is my daughter ok?" she asked, her huge green eyes filled with raw terror flittered from Olivia to Eames and back again.

"She's fine. Why?" Olivia was confused. Ella simply pointed to the envelope which had fallen to the floor. She peered inside and pulled out the letter. She almost dropped it when she unfolded the piece of paper. Stuck to the top of the page was a lock of blood-soaked reddish blonde hair followed by the words: YOU OR GRACIE? WHICH WILL IT BE?

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Please read and review.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: The team is getting closer and closer to George…Will they finally catch up to him or will he slip through their fingers again?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Ten: Blood Drops

"Hey Eames!" Elliot called across the major cases squad room.

"Yeah," she answered absently.

"That your coat ringing?" he pointed to the coat on the back of a chair.

"Oh crap!" Eames dived for her phone pulling it out of her coat pocket. "Eames. Really?…all right, we'll be there soon," she hung up the phone. "We've found George Stevens' base of operations. Anonymous tip on the hotline said that he was staying in a hotel room not that far from here," she told them.

"Right let's go," Elliot said, putting his coat on.

"CSU is meeting us there," Eames told him.

"What was the phone number?" Goren asked randomly.

"What?" Eames was confused.

"Of the anonymous tipper," Goren clarified.

"Oh. I don't know," Eames answered.

"Ok. I'm going to stay here. I have a hunch," Goren turned to Olivia.

"Wanna stay here and help me try to prove my hunch?" he asked.

"Uh yeah," Olivia nodded. Goren's hunches usually had at least some substance to them.

"Great," he smiled kindly.

"We'll call you and let you know what we find," Elliot told them.

"Ok," Olivia nodded. Elliot turned and followed Eames out of the building.

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"Goren. Yeah…really?...Who?...mmhmm…ok thanks," Goren hung up his phone and looked at Olivia who had been listening to his side of the conversation. "They got the blood and print results back off the letter," he told her. "There were only four sets of identifiable prints on the envelope; yours, Ella Stevens', the on duty nurse's and George Stevens'," he told her.

"That means-," Olivia began.

"He was there. In the hospital," Goren finished.A manhandedGoren a sheet withthe phone number for the anonymous tipster.He stared at the number in front of him. "And that is George Stevens' cell phone number," he told her.

"Ella…" Olivia trailed off realizing what was going on.

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At the same time Elliot and Eames were looking through the hotel room George Stevens had been staying in. There were a few clothes and bags, nothing particularly incriminating. Elliot wandered over to the bed and lifted one of the pillows with gloved hands. He found a book that looked kind of like a diary underneath it. He opened it and began to read the last page. Eames watched as the color drained from his face.

"You detectives really are nosy bastards aren't you? No respect for one's privacy. At least if you are reading this you were stupid enough to follow my anonymous tip. She'll be in hell when you find her this time. I'll make damn sure of that. Tick tock, tick tock, BOOM. You're out of time Detectives," he read the last entry out loud. "Eames this was a set up. He phoned in the anonymous tip to distract us," Elliot stated the obvious. His phone chose that moment to ring. "Stabler…yeah I know…WHAT! Ok we'll meet you there," he hung up and turned to Eames. "We need to get to the hospital. Now," He told her.

"There's police guarding her how can he get in?" she asked.

"I don't know but according to our partners he's gotten in before," he told her.

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She wasn't in her room and the nurse didn't know where she was.

"Oh god," Olivia groaned. There were police stationed at every possible exit point. If he was still in the hospital he wasn't getting out.

"Hey look at this," Goren pointed to some tiny blood drops on the floor. He grabbed a rubber glove from his pocket and touched one of the blood drops. "They're fresh," he told Olivia. "There's a trail. It goes all the way out the door," he stated. He began to follow the drops, Elliot and Eames met them just as they exited the room. They all followed the blood drops into an elevator and out again at the top floor the elevator went to. Then they went up a flight of stairs that led to the roof. The four Detectives pulled out their weapons and quietly emerged onto the sunny roof each one with a sinking feeling in their stomach. Olivia spotted them first. She nudged Eames and nodded toward the two figures on a ledge at the edge of the roof. They crept closer until they could hear what George was saying.

"You won't survive a fall like this one Briella. No way. You shouldn't have survived your little swim in the Hudson either but you got lucky," George sneered. "Any last words you want me to pass on to the kids?" he asked her.

"Yeah," Ella replied. "Tell them Mamma didn't go down without a fight."

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Ella suddenly lunged at George knocking him off the ledge and onto the roof. She threw her elbow back and hit him in the jaw.

"BITCH!" George screamed. Eames had run forward by now and Goren was hot on her heels. The larger than life detective grabbed George who had managed to flip so he was on top of Ella and hauled him to his feet. Though George certainly wasn't small he looked it compared to the detective who was now manhandling him so his partner could slap some cuffs on him.

"George Stevens you are under arrest for attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…" Eames voice faded into the background as Olivia ran to Ella's side. She was shaking and as white as a sheet.

"Ellie, its ok honey. It's over. We've got you now. It's ok now," she pulled Ella onto her feet gently and led her away from the ruckus.

"You found my trail?" Ella asked thickly. Her bottom lip was swollen and bleeding.

"Yeah. You did good Ellie," Olivia told her. They stood quietly for a moment watching as Goren and Eames got one of George's wrists cuffed and writhed as they tried to get the other one on, screaming abuse and threats at the top of his lungs. Elliot happily stepped in then grabbing George in a headlock so they could cuff his wrist. The worst was finally over.

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I think maybe one more chapter after this and I'll finish it up?

Please read and review.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Shadows In The Dark

Author: Ebony-Jayne

Notes: Last chapter! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story the response I got made writing this story more than worthwhile.

Sorry this took so long. It wasn't supposed to but writers block is a bitch.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show or the storylines on the show. I do, however, own the characters that I make up so please don't steal them. Any resemblance to anyone or anyplace is a coincidence.

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Chapter Eleven: Aftermath

Once they'd gotten Ella tucked back into her hospital bed and called Casey to come and stay with her, the had Detectives headed back to the station to report what had happened and get George Stevens questioned and processed. It had taken a really long time with him fighting them every step of the way and by the time they got done with him they were all exhausted. They had just sat down in the Squad room to have a cup of coffee when Casey came in looking as tired as they all felt.

"How is she?" Olivia asked.

"Took me forever to get her settled down enough to sleep. She wanted to write a statement right then and there so she didn't forget anything," Casey yawned as she held out a legal pad to Eames. "She wants you to come in so she can give a verbal statement tomorrow."

"Yeah. That's the plan," Eames said as she glanced over the lengthy statement.

"So you got her to sleep then?" Olivia asked.

"Not until I swore that the second she fell asleep I'd bring that statement over here. Oh and not until I hopped in bed with her and she wrapped herself around me so tight it took me ten minutes to extract myself once she was asleep," Casey rolled her eyes. "She always was a damn barnacle," she muttered. The others smiled a little at that.

"Well at least she's getting some rest," Elliot told her.

"Yeah. I'd better get back to her in case she wakes up," Casey yawned again.

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The next day Eames, Goren, Olivia and Elliot all headed over to the hospital to get Ella's statement. When they arrived it was to absolute chaos. Apparently the entire Novak clan had descended upon the hospital.

"Olivia!" a voice shrieked from somewhere in the crowd. Grace shot out from between two people and flung herself at Olivia.

"Hi Gracie. Wow everybody's here," Olivia stated as she knelt down to hug the five-year-old.

"Yeah. Mamma says that they're gonna get her in trouble," Grace told her.

"I wouldn't be surprised. They're very loud," Elliot said with a grin.

"Hi Elliot!" Grace moved away from Olivia and ran over to Elliot who picked her up.

"Hey Gracie," he settled her on her hip and the four detectives tried to make their way through the crowd to get to Ella's room. They couldn't get through without Olivia having to introduce Elliot to the family though. When they finally got to Ella she laughed at the sight of them. Elliot was still carrying Gracie. Somewhere along the way Goren had ended up with Blaike and Briannan wrapped around his legs and sitting on his feet and Eames had a very sleepy Bronté in her arms.

"Well you got through alive if not unscathed anyway," she grinned. "Uh Mom? Do you think you could tell the clan that they can go back to Kendra's for a while. Give those poor nurses a break?" Ella asked Ellen.

"Yes please!" the nurse who was trying to take Ella's blood pressure joked.

"Oh honey this is nothing. Give them a couple of buckets and a garden hose and you really have chaos," Ellen said as she went to pass on the message.

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Once all of the Novaks had left the Detectives sat down to question Ella about the day before. Ellen had taken Grace and Blaike to get a drink while Ella talked. Eames had refused to hand over the now sleeping Bronté who was happily snuggled in her arms.

"I was half asleep and I heard footsteps. It was George. I went for the nurses button but he grabbed me before I could. He tied my hands and feet and put me over his shoulder. I bit my lip and made it bleed and tried to leave a trail. God those drops were so tiny I didn't even know if you'd notice them. I tried to make them bigger and closer together but I couldn't," Ella looked up and smiled. "Apparently they call you guys New York's Finest for a reason."

"What happened out on the roof?" Eames asked.

"He untied my arms and legs and explained that he was going to push me over and they were going to think that I had killed myself. He rattled on for ages about how clever he was throwing you guys off the trail. Then he pulled me up onto the ledge. He asked me if I had any last words for my kids. I said I wouldn't go down without a fight. Then I shoved him off and next thing Detective Goren was hauling him off me," Ella's voice was shaking now. "And then Olivia was there leading me away. I blank for a while then. Next thing I remember is Casey arriving," she finished. "If you guys had been a little bit later…" she shuddered.

"Don't think about that Ellie. It didn't happen that way and that's all that matters," Olivia squeezed Ella's hand.

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Later the Detectives had recounted what Ella had told them to the Major Cases ADA Ron Carver. He had sat in on the interview with George earlier and reviewed all of their evidence and had declared the case a slam dunk. As Olivia lay in bed later she thought about the case. George was proud of what he'd done and when pressed the right way would probably confess on the stand. The case would be over and George would be just another shadow in the dark for the detectives. Ella was a tough girl with a very loving family around her. She had beaten the odds before and come through. She would be just fine. Olivia thought about how much she'd detested Ella the first day. They had all been stiff and cold at first although the guys had warmed up quickly. She hadn't wanted the squad to change but now she realized that maybe change wasn't such a bad thing. She had the opportunity for two new friends and this time she decided that she wasn't going to pass it up. She fell asleep quickly as the exhaustion from the past few days caught up with her.

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As she lay in the hospital bed with her sleeping twin once again attached to her like a barnacle, Casey tried to forget how close she'd come to losing her. She untangled her fingers from Ella's hair and pulled her closer. She lay awake for hours thinking of all of the stuff they had been through over the years and the more she thought the more she became convinced that this was going to be a cakewalk compared to some of those things. She watched Ella's sleeping face for a moment before she relaxed and closed her eyes. Her sister was tough and the whole family was behind her every step of the way. She would be fine. Casey fell asleep with that thought echoing in her mind.

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Well it's all over. Maybe I'll do a sequel to it later if I miss it too much but I doubt it. Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed this story.

Please read and review.


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